Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
HBO | Release Date: March 12, 2016
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
TimeDaniel D'AddarioMar 11, 2016
Season 1 Review: McDonald, a seasoned performer known for her crystal-clear voice, goes so guttural as Billie that her between-song monologues seem at times incomprehensible. That’s kind of the point; her winding stories have no resolution but breaking into a song midphrase.... For her part, McDonald could easily win yet another prize for the role. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubOliver SavaMar 14, 2016
Season 1 Review: Despite the faults of the text, the central performance provides a heartbreaking, multifaceted portrayal of a black female artist yearning for respect, haunted by past mistakes, and tormented by addiction. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandMar 11, 2016
Season 1 Review: In the end, it works only as well as the performance of its star. Needless to say, when the performance is delivered by Audra McDonald, it works brilliantly. Read full review
75
St. Louis Post-DispatchGail PenningtonMar 11, 2016
Season 1 Review: McDonald is flawless in her performances of Holiday’s songs, nailing the jazzy-bluesy (or was it bluesy-jazzy?) delivery. Her own voice is pure and clear, but McDonald captures Holiday’s rough sound, rougher still and sometimes slurred at the end of her life. Read full review
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